Mammotome

From:

RSRICHMOND@aol.com

Abizar asks >>Have been hearing some rumbles that needle biopsies increase
the incidence of metastasis. Is this true?<<
I doubt it. Needle biopsy of tumors has after all been around for a long
time, and the question has been asked before. There are some anecdotal cases,
mostly involving larger needles. One would think that the benefits of prompt
treatment would outweigh the risks of metastasis or spread along the needle
track.
Jacquie Mack asks >>I was wondering how other labs were embedding the
Mammotome biopsies so as to avoid any possible contamination between samples!
(I do know what they are!) Is anyone using any special techniques? Disposable
forceps? Flaming? Non-serrated forceps?<<
I haven't seen or heard of any special techniques being used. I would not
consider them particularly high risk specimens. It's papillary tumors -
urinary bladder, ovary etc. that in my experience are prone to metastasize
from case to case in the processor.
Bernice at Instrumedics notes: >>A hospital in West Palm Beach Florida used
"stereotactic" breast cores for a large number of cases. They were able to
prepare high quality frozen sections and make an accurate diagnosis. They
used the CryoJane Tape-Transfer system!.... The woman learns the results of
the biopsy before she has her clothes back on.<<
I think this is a perfectly dreadful idea, whatever the quality of the
sections. (Like most pathologists, I've never seen a CryoJane and never will
- I've never cut a frozen section on a cryostat manufactured after 1980.)
Diagnosing breast cancer in stereotactic material is difficult enough without
the pressure for immediate diagnosis - frequently one must show the slides to
more than one colleague, or consult a reference book, or just think about
them. The patient certainly doesn't need to get a cancer diagnosis in such an
offhand fashion, and she isn't going to get a diagnosis from a radiologist
anyway, rather from her surgeon or her primary care physician.
Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN